American private space industry is against the use of ‘subsidised’ ISRO launch vehicles

While on one hand, US is expanding cooperation with India in the space sector, on the other hand, the country's nascent private space industry has opposed the rampant use of low cost ISRO launch vehicles to put American satellites into orbits.

Corporate leaders and officials of the fast-emerging American private space industry think that this can detriment the future health of the private sector US space companies, bringing them in tough competition with ISRO’s low-cost launch vehicles, which they think are subsidised by the Indian government.

"I think the concern about using Indian boosters is not so much the transfer of sensitive technology to a nation that is a fellow democracy, but rather whether the Indian launches are subsidised by the government to a degree that other market actors would be priced out of the market," Elliot Holokauahi Pulham, CEO of Space Foundation, said.

While testifying before a Congressional committee, Pulham also said that debates about allowing US built satellites to fly on Indian PSLV are on.

Eric Stallmer, president of Commercial Spaceflight Federation, added that the satellites are being manufactured quicker than their launch capability, making them unable to make money while sitting idle.

"Currently, the Indian launch vehicle PSLV has a sweet spot and has the capability of launching some of these satellites right now in a timely manner. We don't want to see US launches going overseas by any means, whether it's to India, Russia or whomever else. But right now, from the satellite, you know, producers and manufacturers, they need to get their assets up in the sky as quick as possible," Stallmer said.

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